23/06/2022 - Jumpingpound Mountain

 Jumpingpound Mountain 

(Range Road 71a access)

Around 9am today my friend Marisol and I took off from Bragg en route to the Jumpingpound trailhead. The drive took around thirty-five minutes because when Highway 66 turns into Range Road 71a it becomes a dirt road and you aren't able to drive as fast. Arriving around 9:30 ish we were probably on trail around 9:45. Although the forecast for that day indicated that we would be hiking in the rain, we were greeted by blue skies sometimes obstructed by clouds, even still better than expected. The hike starts in the trees and climbs at a consistent rate until you break the tree line. Being in the trees means no insane 360° views however there is so much beauty that can be found from within the forest. The entire climb in the forrest we were accompanied by beautiful sights that included streams, fallen spruce needles, rainforest like climate and lots and lots of spruce trees. Although beauty can be found from within the forrest, it is hard to compete with the raw beauty found when you break the tree line. As soon as you're out of the trees Moose Mountain comes into view and you are surrounded by mountains. Even though the weather was mostly good once we got onto the ridge it soon changed. Basically as soon as we were on top the weather shifted and it began to snow. Usually when it snows it falls vertically however in this case it began to snow completely horizontally. The snow quickly began to cut our legs and I was very thankful that dad let me take his Gore-Tex pants with me. Just as quickly as the precipitation began, it ended and what we were left with was breathtaking. Where we were on the ridge was completely calm but ahead of us towards Moose was a complete snowstorm. The weather made the hike feel surreal. I could be wrong but I am pretty sure this was the first hike that Marisol had been on this season so I was glad that she was able to experience the true Alberta weather shifts. Jumpinpound provides you with a unique vantage point as you are able to see Cox hill and Moose on the east side and when you look west you can see the entirety of Nihahi Ridge. People often close themselves off to hiking if they check the forecast and see that it calls for something other than perfect sunshine. This hike was a prime example of how that's the wrong thing to do considering that for 90% of the hike we experienced prime hiking weather. Glad I got to share the experience with someone who I know genuinely appreciated it as she knew the forecast going in and was still eager to hit the trails.